The good news: Anwar Stewart arrived in Calgary safe and sound on Tuesday night.

The better news: he appears to be in football shape.

So that, in combination with the number of first-team defence reps he took on Wednesday, his first practice as a Stampeder since training camp 2002, would lead one to conclude there’s a good chance Stewart will be on the roster when the Stamps pay a visit to Winnipeg on Saturday afternoon.

Also noteworthy on Wednesday were the presence of centre Jon Gott, running back Jon Cornish and slotback Nik Lewis, all of whom missed practice on Tuesday with various issues that apparently fell under the catch-all description of “maintenance days.” As well, Juwan Simpson, who sat out Tuesday to give his injured ankle another day of rest, was back in his usual middle linebacker spot.

Stamps coach and GM John Hufnagel used that phrase today to explain the absence of another offensive lineman J’Micheal Deane, who was seen limping during a portion of Tuesday’s practice. Should he not be available for Saturday’s game, it seems logical to assume that Obby Khan would get a starting assignment on Saturday in his old stomping grounds of Winnipeg.

We got our first chance to see new quarterback Darron Thomas throw the ball today as he did a stint at the helm of the scout-team offence. Early impressions would be that he can make plays with his legs, but his arm would seem to be the question mark. In his defence, it was a breezy, cold, wet day, so perhaps not the fairest of conditions in which to judge him.

Now, my weekly rankings and picks…

The Power Rankings
(Previous ranking in parentheses)
1. B.C. (1) — Lions showed they can win without some of their top players, and that speaks to their depth as well as the coaching prowess of Mike Benevides, who pushed a lot of right buttons in the leadup to Saturday’s first-place showdown with the Stampeders.
2. Saskatchewan (3) — No team in the CFL is playing better football these days; defence didn’t give the Argos a sniff on Saturday, and suddenly Weston Dressler is making a strong pitch for West Division MOP honours. The Riders have become a fun team to watch.
3. Calgary (2) — Lack of finish on offence, particularly in the first and third quarters, proved costly. Not one of Kevin Glenn’s better efforts in recent weeks, and, whether the Stamps like it or not, questions are being asked about when Drew Tate will be ready to return.
4. Montreal (4) — An ugly effort against the Bombers should raise some alarms, but for now it seems more likely that Monday’s loss to the cellar-dwellers was an example of taking an opponent lightly rather than an indication of a pending collapse. That could change, though…
5. Edmonton (7) — Beating the Ticats is no great accomplishment, but it had to have been a boost between the ears for the Eskimos, who’d been suffering with some confidence issues, to say the least. Fred Stamps was a delight to watch, as always.
6. Toronto (5) — It’s not fair to judge this team based on Monday’s loss to the red-hot Riders; Jarious Jackson, with all due respect, is no Ricky Ray. But what should raise some eyebrows was the way the Riders carved up a pretty good Toronto defence.
7. Winnipeg (8) — Who could have seen that coming? The Bombers showed some serious intestinal fortitude going into Montreal on Monday and coming away with a victory. Defence was terrific, and Joey Elliott made some plays. The return of Buck Pierce (for a while, anyways) also is encouraging.
8. Hamilton (6) — By far, the hardest team in the CFL to figure out. Capable of brilliance and utter ineptitude, often in the same game. Hard not to feel sorry for Ticats fans, who’ve been riding an emotional roller-coaster with this squad all season.

Cameron’s picks Week 15
Hamilton over Edmonton
B.C. over Calgary
Montreal over Winnipeg
Toronto over Saskatchewan Week 15 scores
Edmonton 35, Hamilton 20
B.C. 27, Calgary 22
Winnipeg 27, Calgary 22
Saskatchewan 36, Toronto 10
Last week: 1-3. Season: 33-23 Week 16 Picks
(All times MDT; all games on TSN)Friday
B.C. at Hamilton, 5:30 p.m. — Conventional wisdom dictates that the Lions should cruise, but the Ticats have bucked conventional wisdom all season. They do have the tools on offence to push any team in the CFL. And they will this week. Hamilton.Saturday
Calgary at Winnipeg, 11 a.m. — Suddenly the Bombers aren’t the free square on the bingo card. The Stamps are feeling the heat with the Riders breathing down their necks, but the veterans on both sides of the ball will step up to settle the nerves. Calgary
Saskatchewan at Edmonton, 2 p.m. — The Riders are playing superb football, and while the Eskimos did some good things last week against the Ticats, their inconsistency on offence continues to plague them. The Riders will take advantage. SaskatchewanSunday
Montreal at Toronto, 11 a.m. — So much depends on the health of Ricky Ray. He’s still considered doubtful to start for the Argos, but against an angry Alouettes team, still stinging from losing to the Bombers, Ray’s presence likely won’t change things. Montreal.

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